The White House Christmas decor is up – this is what experts think of Jill and Joe Biden's magical and joyful theme

Every year, the White House Christmas decor signals the start of the festive season. This year, it's especially beautiful.

jill and joe biden hugging on a blue background
(Image credit: Getty Images)

A gorgeous Christmas tree arrived at the White House last week, and now, the finished holiday decor has been unveiled. First Lady Jill Biden took to Instagram to share her annual holiday theme for the Presidential home she shares with her husband, President Joe Biden, and it's so fun.

This year's Christmas decor theme 'Magic, Wonder, and Joy' sets out to recreate the experience of seeing Christmas through a child's eyes. Jill Biden writes: 'Our theme is inspired by how children experience this festive season: completely present in the beauty and bounty around them, their senses alight, with hearts open.'

According to Christmas decor experts, this theme celebrates the essence of what makes the holidays special. 

Alison Battle, co-founder and creative producer of immersive Christmas experience LaplandUK, states: 'The wonderment and excitement a child experiences at Christmas time is a defining moment within the course of childhood, creating memories which will remain with them throughout their lives. A child will only ever be a certain age at Christmas once, making these fleeting years a time to treasure, honor, and champion their unwavering capacity to believe.'

lapland uk
Alison Battle

Alison Battle and her husband Mike are the co-founders of LaplandUK, an immersive Christmas experience for children based in Ascot, England. Every year, Alison works together with Hollywood set designers to create a believable North Pole in the UK. She is passionate about the magic of children's belief in Christmas.

On creating the perfect Christmas tradition of 'Magic, Wonder, and Joy,' Alison adds that: 'In order to fully capture a child's imagination and transport them into a place of complete festive wonder, it is paramount that they become fully immersed into the heart of the Christmas story. Every sense, from what they see, to what they hear, smell, and touch, needs to be activated for the Christmas experience to feel authentic and real, and ensure that they remain deep inside the elven world of Father Christmas.'

A video posted by Lone Fox Home of DIY influencer Drew Michael Scott reveals that Jill Biden's White House decor does exactly this. From the walkway marked by a larger-than-life Christmas tree to the warm glow of the stars around the home to the candy cane passageway between rooms and the super-sized advent calendar, this year's White House decor captures every sense to fill visitors with child-like wonder.

Alison Battle completely agrees the Bidens have pulled off the theme. She states: 'Paying close attention to detail when decorating a festive space is a crucial part of creating this holistic sensory experience - for instance, suspending Father Christmas’ sleigh as if it were really in the sky, and having a working train, are important pieces of the puzzle that The White House has done well to help truly captivate the small folk.'


This holiday season, take your Christmas décor to the next level by choosing a décor theme to compliment the homey feelings you want to evoke. For more inspiration, look back on the best Presidential holiday themes from over the years.

Sophie Edwards
News Editor

I am a London-based News Editor at Homes & Gardens. My interests lie at the intersection of design and popular culture with a particular focus on trends and celebrity homes. Before joining Future, I worked as a Content Writer and Communications Lead for Fig Linens and Home, a luxury linens and home interiors brand based in Fairfield County, CT. I have a BA in Creative Writing from Sarah Lawrence College in New York and an MSc from the Oxford University Department of Anthropology.